Thick Skin
by TWDlover92
Summary: Picking up a few weeks after the prison attack, a portion of the group ends up doing a supply run at a University to equip their new shelter. Unfortunately, things don't turn out as expected and the group gets scattered in different directions as a new threat emerges. Carol ends up alone but she gets in a position where she could actually save her family. Caryl moments ahead.
1. Left Behind

CHAPTER ONE: LEFT BEHIND

_Carol never went to University. She did try one day to talk Ed into it but he brushed her off saying it wasn't important. He never believed in school. He never believed in the education system. He thought it was a waste of time and that she should not try to avoid her responsibilities at home. "What would you be doing at school, huh? Learning some stupid crap while you could be doing something useful for a change? You're a housewife, your job is to stay at home, make dinners, do the chores and watch for the baby. The rest doesn't matter. Don't try to be someone you're not." Carol nodded and didn't bother to argue with him. She knew it was going to turn that way. _

_Ed never cared for her future. He just cared about his job and the money that came from it. Sophia never had a chance to spend some quality time with her own daddy. He was always somewhere else, doing something for the job or spending time drinking with his friends. Carol learned through all those years that she wasn't going to get the future she wanted. Ed would always be there stopping her or trying to ruin her plans. She wasn't allowed to make her own decisions. With years, she slowly became numb and she just gave up on her goals and dreams. She wasn't even strong enough to divorce him and to run away with her daughter. She just gave up on life. She gave up on anything that ever mattered to her. She gave up on her daughter's future. But mostly, she gave up on herself._

* * *

Her breath was short as she ran through the long dark hallway, her hands squeezing desperately on her rifle. She heard the gunshots in a near distance but tried not to think about it. It wasn't the time nor the place to start thinking about the possibility of dying today. Carol got separated from the group but she knew they would go back for her sooner or later if she got lost along the way. She heard loud footsteps from the other side of the hallway but didn't dare turning around, fearing who might be following her.

As she heard a shot passing right through a wall beside her, she knew she had to hurry finding a shelter. She opened the first door at her reach and entered it without giving it any second thought. She didn't care about walkers anymore; the truth is there was worst out there than the living dead. Before closing the door, she saw a man dressed in black aiming at her with his gun but she shot him in the head right before he could pull the trigger. She looked around, hesitated a moment but finally took the weapon out of his hand and closed the door behind her.

Finally able to catch her breath, she realized it was yet another close call for her. _I can't keep running like this. I'll run out of luck eventually._ Her back was sweaty and her navy blue jacket had a few blood stains on it. She grimaced as she stretched the burning muscles in her legs. Her boots never felt heavier on her feet. She quickly looked around and understood she was in a classroom. A room that used to be a place full of life where students could learn and develop their knowledge. Her heart sank at that thought. It was ironic how it took the apocalypse for her to finally get a chance to enter a classroom. _I guess things went full circle for me on that one. _

She disposed the new gun on a table and visualized what could be done to barricade the door and gain more time to come up with a plan. Obviously, she went for the desks almost immediately. They had a solid structure that could certainly hold up for a while. She stacked a few of them against the door and concluded it was probably the best she could do at the moment. She then backed off and wondered what she could do next. The classroom seemed pretty deserted and harmless from her point of view. No walkers or humans in sight.

A thin ray of light came from the windows and offered a quite reassuring feeling that Carol welcomed more than ever. She instinctively decided to open those windows to get some fresh air. As she inhaled deeply, she couldn't help peeking outside in case someone from her group might have been waiting down there. They were a few cars parked in the street and four guards standing near the entrance of the University. They were probably waiting for their chief to give the signal to come inside. One of them was looting the back of Rick's car, the same car that got them all here in the first place. He loaded his bag with the few things that still remained inside. _I can't believe an ordinary supply run could finish like this…What am I supposed to do now?_

As she barely processed what was going on, a guy came out of the building and reunited the guards before him. She focused on them and tried to overhear their conversation. Luckily, her position on the second floor gave her the opportunity to spy on them without getting noticed.

"So, what's going on Bill?" asked one of the guards who wore a green cap on his head.

"They killed a lot of our people. There's a guy with a crossbow who's really taking no shit and a black woman who swings a katana with no mercy. I barely made it back here. There are six or seven of them. I can't tell."

"What's our next move then?" asked another guard while scratching his beard.

"We wait for Dan's signal. He's probably gonna need us soon enough for reinforcement. Prepare your weapons and make sure they are fully loaded. They won't escape us. "

"Do you think they are a big threat?"

"Nah, we'll be fine. We will outnumber them fast enough. Anyway, we're gonna blow this place up once we find what we're looking for. You know how Dan likes to destroy every single place we visit to make sure no one comes after us. There's no way they are gonna make it out alive."

"Where did he put the explosives?"

"Hmm…he told me he had four sets of explosives that he installed in the cafeteria, on the first floor. It's hidden somewhere under a table. When it explodes, the main building will be gone and you can be sure there will be not much left."

"How much time do we have before it blows up?" asked the youngest guard in the group.

"He set it up to explode in approximately an hour or so." Bill took a look at his watch to make sure he was right. "We'll have enough time to get rid of these people and gather everything we can to the cars."

Seeing that no one had any more question to ask, Bill gave them a single nod and each guard went back to their initial position, waiting for Dan's signal that might come any minute now.

Carol suddenly felt very anxious with the conversation she overheard. She couldn't believe they were trapped into this giant mess with little to no chance to make it out alive. It felt like living the CDC all over again with the pressure of this countdown leading to a big blow up. _We barely made it the first time, back at the CDC. If it wasn't for that grenade in my purse, we'd be all dead today. But now what? If it isn't the explosion that destroys us, it will be their group that kills us._ Carol slowly wiped the tear that dropped on her left cheek. She felt powerless in that classroom all by herself. What could she do to protect her friends from here? There was simply no way she was going to wait for those people to kill her family. _And Daryl, god…Daryl. _

On the same token, it was really too dangerous to go out there and risk her life. She had to think fast and minimize the damages around her. She crouched on the floor, took out her weapons and put them all in front of her to come up with a strategy. She had a rifle, the gun she stole earlier and a knife. She looked at the ammunition left in both guns. There were only six rounds left in the stolen gun and ten rounds left in her rifle. _Alright, I guess I'll have to make each bullet count from now on._

* * *

The storage room was small and plunged into darkness but it was the best they could find to escape their new enemies. Michonne didn't pronounce a single word but she kept peeking outside the door to prevent any sort of danger. Daryl grumbled loudly as Rick tried to calm him down by putting his firm hand on his shoulder. They were only three of them sharing this little room together. Glenn, Maggie and Carl ran off in a different direction before they could do anything about it. On the other hand, Carol had to make her way on her own as she got a man chasing her down. Daryl wanted to follow him but Rick and Michonne needed assistance immediately and he simply couldn't leave them behind.

"Relax, we'll find her, Daryl." whispered Rick in a soft tone.

"I should have killed that jackass when I had the chance."

"She'll be fine. She knows how to defend herself. You thought her all she needed to know. "

"We gotta get outta here. Ain't gonna waste my time in this shithole. You know like me we can't keep hidin' like this. We gotta fight and find our people."

"I know but we have to do this the right way. We can't even tell how many they are and we're struggling on ammo. There's gotta be a plan to support us or else, we're screwed."

Daryl finally went silent as he knew Rick was right. There was no way they could go out there without thinking this through. He had no idea where Carol was hiding and they simply couldn't take their chances without making sure it was safe. Rick took out the few bullets left in his ammunition box and began loading his rifle knowing they were his last. He tried to remain calm but his shaky hands betrayed him as some bullets clumsily fell on the floor. The metallic noise rang into the room and Rick immediately suppressed a curse between his lips. His forehead was sweating heavily and he tried to wipe it with the back of his hand.

Michonne didn't move but she arched her eyebrows as she sensed Rick was probably stressed out at the moment for not having Carl near him.

"You a'right?" asked Daryl with a concerned look.

"Yeah, I just…" Rick stopped, took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I worry about Carl, that's all."

"He is one tough kid, he'll get through this. Glenn and Maggie won't let anythin' happen to him."

"I can't afford to lose my son. Not after losing Lori and Judith at the prison. It would be too much for me to handle. "

Daryl flinched as he remembered way too clearly how the Governor's assault destroyed everything they had built at the prison. Michonne was the one to take out the Governor's life but the damages were already done. So many lives were taken in the process and Judith was along the numerous victims. They had to evacuate the prison and find a new place to stay but Rick had a lot of difficulty to keep up with everybody else. "No! No!" had been screaming Rick as he tried to go back in the prison. "C'mon! We gotta go!" had responded Daryl while grabbing firmly his upper arm. Rick had tried to push Daryl away but the hunter's determination to get him out of here finally made his way through. It was too late and there was nothing Rick could have done to prevent what happened to Judith. Everything went down so fast and Rick wasn't at the right spot at the right moment to protect her from the imminent danger. He was in the middle of a war that had to end the proper way and he was needed pretty much everywhere. In the end, they won the war against the Governor but they had to pay the cost that came along with this victory.

"Let's come up with a plan." pursued Rick after recollecting his mind. "Do you see anything, Michonne?"

Michonne hesitated a few seconds, making sure she was giving the right information. "It's all clear. Most of them ran towards the opposite block. "

"Okay, I think it's time to give it a shot. We have to keep moving and find the others. "

"But there's no way to tell where the rest of our group is. In fact, they could be anywhere right now." responded Michonne.

"We gotta take a chance. It's risky but it's worth it. Ain't gonna leave anyone behind." mumbled Daryl while adjusting his crossbow.

"Daryl is right. We'll look everywhere before leaving this place. We can't afford to lose anyone else; especially after all we've been through. Let's go out and don't forget: we stick together."

Michonne nodded and began opening the door, her katana close to her side.

* * *

She stood there not quite knowing what she was doing. She had the rifle in her hands but she was hesitant, as if she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. After all, a simple mistake and she was done. There was no turning back for her. They would see she is up there, pointing a gun at them and it would take no time for them to capture her. On the other hand, she had the perfect spot to aim at them and she was practically sure she could take out one or two guards before they would run up to her. The real question was: where could she go after they acknowledged she is up there? Was it really that easy to just run off and wish they would forget about her? Of course not. _There's gotta be a way to get out of this mess alive and safe. There has to be!_

The time was ticking away and Carol knew it too well. Soon enough, she would lose the last people she cares about in this world. She never had people rely on her so much before, except her own daughter. It broke her heart to have to give up on this imperfect life that gave her the chance to embrace life as it was. She still found beauty in this world even if death was surrounding their every move. She found beauty in her group, the way everyone embraced each other as if they were family. The way they could enjoy the little things that life provided every now and then. The way Glenn and Maggie loved each other and defied all the odds against them. The way Rick cared for Carl and always made sure he was safe. The way Hershel still found hope and faith after losing his farm, friends and family. The way Beth kept her innocence even when she had all the reasons to break apart. The way Carl got so strong after experiencing the most traumatic event a child could ever have to go through. The way Michonne earned her place and proved her loyalty in so many different ways. And mostly, the way Daryl looked after her since the very beginning of their journey.

Daryl, the most amazing thing that ever happened to her after Sophia. The man of honor she had always wished for. The man she respected and loved with all her heart. He was the first one to really understand her while everyone in the group pitied her and tried to avoid her. He could feel her pain and he wanted to help the best he could, even though he didn't owe her anything. Losing him would be her deepest regret, especially since she never told him how much she loved him.

She had a few chances to do it back at the prison but she preferred not to rush stuff like that. They were doing great and he was obviously warming up to the idea of spending some quality time with her but they never were quite there yet. There was always something else going on around the prison and they had their own tasks to care about. It ended up that despite being in a safe sanctuary; they never really had the time to take care of themselves. And although Carol knew too well their world could crash at any moment, she had settled for whatever kind of relationship she was having with Daryl. No intimacy involved but mostly companionship.

She could live with that as long as she could keep talking to him and knowing him on a deeper level. The rest was optional but it was no shocker that she secretly wished for more. And right now, she felt stupid for not having done anything when she still had the chance. If she had known better, she would have at least kissed him once or said something more meaningful than asking him how his day had been. She felt foolish, standing there in front of that window, thinking about missed opportunities while she was moments away from making a risky move. But she couldn't help herself. She felt her heart pumping fast through her chest and she still had no idea where her friends were. For all she knew, it could already be too late for them.

But somehow, she was confident Daryl would make it out alive. She knew he would find a way. He always found a way to put a situation at his advantage. She liked to believe they were both survivors and that they were the ones built to survive this world. They had been struggling all their lives and adapting themselves to whatever shitty situation was thrown their way. She had realized they were the most equipped to deal with that kind of pressure. And she was confident enough that he wouldn't die today. She wasn't so sure about her own fate or if she would be able to join him but at least, she could be relieved that Daryl was probably ahead of the game and fighting his way through the exit.

She tried to remain hopeful she would get out of there too but it wasn't that easy. She knew she was a survivor at her core but she was also realistic and her odds weren't that good right now. Escaping without stumbling upon one of them was practically impossible even if the school looked a bit like a labyrinth with so many floors and corridors. She could be lucky and find just the right path to make it without being seen but she felt like she had used all her luck for the day. After all, it was quite an achievement to have survived the crazy man who had been chasing her down the corridors with a weapon. And she wasn't too sure how she managed to do that in the first place. She had just kept running and running, holding onto life like she had been doing all those times she was put in danger.

And somehow, it worked. She was still there, breathing, feeling the pain from her sore legs and the sweat running down her skin. _Life won't get rid of me so easily. I'm not done yet. _She picked up the rifle and slowly positioned herself in front of the window. She knew she had become a good shot and there was no denying that. Maybe that skill could save someone down the line and she had to take that risk. She just had to.

* * *

**Hi guys! This is an experimental story I have in mind and I think it has the potential to turn out into something really great! I enjoy reviews so don't be shy to let me know what you think of the story so far. I also want to point out that I have changed a few things from the current storylines on the show but it will still makes sense down the line. I also want to mention that it will be heavily Caryl related as I love their relationship and I can't just skip it. **

**I think that's about it so thank you for reading! **


	2. A New Shelter

CHAPTER TWO: A NEW SHELTER

Life after the prison attack hadn't been easy for any of them. The tragic loss of Judith weighed a lot on their minds. After all, she was just an innocent baby. She didn't deserve to be involved in any of this and Rick took it really hard. Michonne and Carl had been the most present to support him through this tragedy but they were all there for him if he ever needed someone to talk to. They managed to escape the prison with three different cars, just before the herd of walkers invaded the whole place. They travelled north for an hour or so, following Michonne's directions who had found a good shelter a few months back when she was tracking the Governor on her own. It was no idyllic place but it could do the job before finding something else. The shelter was big enough for all of them and Carol seemed thankful that they could take a break in a secure environment. They had lost so many people along the way and she felt like she could have helped a lot more in protecting the prison. After all, she had become some kind of leader in the last few months. She didn't know she had it in her but here it was; the spark to change things for the better.

People counted on her in so many ways that she naturally stepped up and made her opinions known. She had ultimately become the matriarch of the group. Rick was a bit unsettled by this new leadership role Carol had taken in the community but he respected it as soon as he saw how effective she was with the new people. Of course, they didn't agree all the time but they managed to make it work nonetheless. Sometimes, when they weren't sure about what to do, they would ask Daryl or Hershel to help them sort things out. It was a system that worked fairly well and both Rick and Carol accepted to share the responsibilities in the future. They realized it was better that way since Rick couldn't take all the pressure coming from this role and he wanted to be the father Carl needed desperately. But as the community got dissolved so brutally, Carol felt as she failed in her mission to keep her people safe. She knew she couldn't have predicted the Governor's return but she still felt a glimpse of culpability rising in the aftermath of this tragedy. Maybe she could have done more in order to protect them but she knew deep inside she couldn't do anything about it. Even Daryl and Michonne were surprised by how it all went down. No one expected it. The Governor had planned his return really carefully and they had done their best to save as many people as they could.

Carol could see that Daryl wasn't doing so well himself after the prison downfall. He seemed a bit…lost. He was feeling guilty, too. In the last few months, people relied a lot on him to provide food and security to the community. People looked at him like he was actually worth something. And now, it was all gone. Those people died under his watch and he couldn't do anything about it. Carol understood his pain and she felt like they could discuss it in order to let out the bad stuff. One night, she knocked at his door in the hopes to have a little chat with him. They used to do it every once in a while back at the prison. She thought that it wasn't because the prison was gone that they had to stop talking at night.

She liked this little moment when they could be alone and share some privacy. It was in those moments that she got to know him better as he wasn't so reluctant to talk more about his feelings. He trusted her and he felt good in her presence. Carol suddenly heard footsteps on the floor and the door slowly opened to let her in. Like she expected, Daryl was still wearing his every day clothes, ready to take watch or help in case of emergency. She felt a bit stupid to stand there in a t-shirt and jogging pants, as if she wasn't prepared for all eventualities. He looked worn out but it was hard to tell as only a candle was lighting up the dark room. The moonlight was helping clearing out the darkness a little bit but it wasn't enough to distinct much in the room. They sat down on his bed, side by side, their arms barely brushing each other.

"So…what do you think?" Carol gently asked.

"About what?" Daryl mumbled.

"This place…Do you like it?"

"It's as good as any, I guess." he answered, not looking at her.

A short silence followed his answer.

"Look…, I know how you feel about what happened back at the prison. It was…horrible. But we had to move on. There was nothing else we could do. I felt guilty about it too but I realized we can't be mad at ourselves for something like that. "

"Those people counted on me. I've let them down."

"No, you did your best, Daryl. We've all done our best. What matters is that we're still here and that we managed to keep on surviving despite it all."

Daryl slightly nodded his head, pondering her last sentence in his mind. He knew she was right but it was still hurting so much to think about the different scenarios that could have happened if they had been more prepared.

"It's just…that I'm wonderin' what's the point of all this. We keep runnin' like idiots and we can't seem to find one damn place to stay for good. We can't even keep our own people alive for more than a few months."

"But this is how it works now. If we don't fight, we die and it's all over. We need to keep going for as long as we can."

"We've been bustin' our asses off from the start. We got no damn break. And when we get attached to new people, they just die a few weeks later. Nothin' great comin' of all this."

"We fight for those little moments we get to have every once in a while. There are still good things in this world. "

"Well, maybe they aren't worth it."

Carol tried to search for Daryl's eyes at that moment but he still wouldn't look at her, obviously too shy to face her disappointed stare. She then put a firm hand on his shoulder and said:

"You really think that?"

Daryl slowly turned his head towards her and she could see just how tired he really was. She realized she wasn't imagining it when she first entered his room. He made a short eye contact with her before looking at something else.

"I…don' know. I'm just tired of this. It's always the same all the time."

"We'll make it work, Daryl. There's always a way."

She offered a genuine smile to him that he returned shyly. He knew he had to keep fighting if it meant he could spend more time with Carol and his family. At this point, it was all they could do and giving up was not even an option to consider. They all needed each other more than ever.

"Get some sleep. You really need it. We have a big supply run planned for tomorrow and I want you to be ready for it." Carol added, getting up from the bed.

As she went to open the door, Daryl grabbed her wrist gently and said: "Hey, Carol."

"What is it?" she answered, a bit startled by his move.

"Just wanted to say thanks."

Carol smiled again. Daryl seemed really grateful that she was always there for him and she was pleased if she could make a little difference in his life. She wanted to give him a hug at that moment but she wasn't sure if he was ready for it. She settled for a gentle squeeze over his hand and she got out of his room, closing the door behind her. She was glad with their relationship and frankly, aside from the lack of physical intimacy, she wouldn't change anything about it. Daryl was first and foremost her best friend. She would do anything for him just like he would do anything for her and that was the most important thing about their bond.

* * *

Carol woke up early as she knew they had a big day ahead with the supply run. Rick and herself had decided previously that they could stay here for a little while, giving time for Tyreese to heal his wounds and for them to come up with a new plan. She softly knocked at Rick's door, trying to not wake Carl up. Rick answered after a little moment, his eyes squinting as he tried to adjust to the light. Carol pointed downstairs and Rick nodded in agreement. They went to the kitchen and picked up a few things to eat for breakfast. Michonne was in the living room, keeping watch. She gave them a little nod and went back to her duty.

"So…, who do we send on this supply run?" Carol asked, eating some crackers as she sat down at the table.

"I think we should all go but leave Beth, Tyreese and Sasha behind. Tyreese still needs to recover from his injury and Sasha should look over him with Beth."

"Do you really want to have Carl there?"

"He'll hate me if I don't bring him with us. He's in a bad mood these days. You know, with Judith and everything…I think he needs to change his mind a little bit."

"Right. Anyway, we'll all be here to check up on him. Besides, he's a good little helper. I'm sure he can gather up a lot of stuff."

"Yeah…"

"You okay?" Carol asked, concerned.

"I just try to keep going, you know. I wish things could go back to the way they used to be but I realize it might not be possible. Carl…He's changing. He's becoming a man and he might not see me the same way after everything we've been through." Rick said, scratching his grey beard.

"Give him some time to adjust himself. He loves you but he also needs his independence. He's growing up in a crazy world, we just can't ask him to be a kid anymore."

"You're right. I'll give him the time he needs." He looked at Michonne a quick second and went back to Carol. "Besides, Michonne does a great job at keeping him on tracks and treating him the right way."

Michonne turned her head and offered a shy smile to Rick, acknowledging the compliment. It was true that she had a really good relationship with Carl. They got along very well and she always felt the need to treat him as an equal despite her strong maternal love for him. She loved him like a friend and a son. She would do anything to protect him and allow him to grow up as the amazing man he was about to become. And when she realized that Rick was okay with that, she felt as if she had found a real family right there. A family that would accept her and love her for who she really was.

"Carl is in good hands, that's true." Carol added, looking at Michonne in approval.

"Whatcha all talkin' about?" Daryl grumbled, entering the kitchen.

"Setting up the run, that's all." Carol responded, cracking up at his cranky mood.

"Y'all couldn't wake me up this mornin'?"

"You needed the sleep, Daryl. You looked awfully tired yesterday." Rick added, trying to appease him a little.

"Nah, I was just fine. Y'all know ya can't plan this thing without me and Michonne. We're the good ones at this."

"Hey, relax. You know we wouldn't have decided anything if it wasn't okay with you or anyone else." Rick answered.

"Ya better. We can't afford to mess it up. We're low on gas, food and everything else."

"Is the University of Georgia really a good place to scavenge?" Carol asked Daryl as she gave him a bottle of water.

"I think so, yeah. I've been talkin' about it with Michonne and we agreed that it was the best place we could come across."

Michonne suddenly walked towards the kitchen and pulled out a map from a bag, unrolling it on the table.

"We're close to the place. It's only a few miles from here. We can make it easily. This shelter needs reinforcement that we could find at the University. There are also probably tons of untouched food cans at the cafeteria and stuff like that. It's more than likely a gold mine." Michonne said, tracing the road to follow with her finger.

"Are we sure about that? Looks like a big risk to take…" Rick asked.

"It's worth a try. We would be dumb to not stop by before going anywhere else." Michonne concluded.

A few minutes later, everything was settled for the supply run and Rick proceeded to wake up everybody else.

* * *

They all travelled in a van to not waste any more gas. They were a bit too tight with seven passengers aboard but thankfully, Carl wasn't taking too much place as he squeezed himself between Glenn and Maggie in the back of the car. Carol laughed at Glenn's expression as he realized he was gonna spend the whole travel with a kid by his side. Maggie looked at him with a sorry look but couldn't help laughing too. Rick was driving and Michonne was holding the map just next to him. She was the best to give directions and she had a very good visual memory. Carol and Daryl were sitting right next to each other in the middle seats. She could sense that Daryl was glancing up at her every moment or so. He tried to be subtle but he wasn't quite doing well and Carol couldn't help but find him adorable. He was always too obvious in his small gestures. Just to tease him a little bit, she suddenly turned her head towards him to show she had caught him in his little game. Daryl tried to pretend he wasn't looking at her but it failed miserably and Carol suppressed a laugh.

As they arrived, Rick gave a quick pep talk to everybody and they finally entered the school by the front door. Thankfully, there weren't too many walkers out there so they didn't need to clean up the place that much. They stayed together as they explored the surroundings, looking at every corner for something interesting. After a little while, Glenn had found a few tools in a classroom and he threw them in a trash bag. They started collecting a lot of stuff and they all realized that Michonne was right: this place was truly a gold mine. But as they went on with their task, Carol felt that something wasn't right. And just to confirm her impression, Michonne was on her guards too, sensing that something was off. Loud footsteps and voices suddenly echoed in the school, as if a whole other group was there scavenging the place too. Daryl lifted up his crossbow and started looking around, trying to understand where they were coming from. And moments later, here they were, coming across the other group. The new group was at the other end of the hallway, armed to the teeth but still not risking an attack on them. There were probably twice as much as their group and Rick felt concerned by how they were outnumbered. Finally, a man spoke up to cut through the awkward silence.

"We don't want any trouble but you have to get out of here. We were here first."

Rick looked at Daryl and he just knew it was not an option.

"No. We have the right to be here. Let us do what we have to do and move on." Rick said.

"I think you don't quite get it. We have a big group to feed and protect. We need every single thing we can find here. We don't share." the man responded back.

"We have a big group, too. I don't see why we can't share."

"Get out of here. Now. We'll fire if you don't leave in the next few seconds."

Rick looked at his group and everybody seemed ready to fight. He then gave a quick glance at Carl who was already preparing to shoot if needed. Rick gave a slight nod to his crew and everybody understood it was time to fight. Carl fired first and he killed three men before the other group was even realizing what was happening. Everybody else started shooting and it was now becoming a battlefield. Fortunately, the other group seem to lose a lot of men quite fast but they were slowly moving towards them and it was getting more dangerous as there were not many ways to hide. Seeing that it was better to run, Glenn held Maggie's hand and forced Carl to follow them as he was about to get killed if he continued. Carol kept shooting with the others but a man ran towards her and tried to kill her from a close range. She had to run away if she wanted to have a small chance to make it. And as she started running with a man pursuing her from a certain distance, Daryl realized that she was in danger.

"Carol!" he shouted.

But Rick and Michonne needed help more than ever and he had to stick with them at the moment. It was the only way they could survive this. Carol heard Daryl's shouting but it was too late, she couldn't go back to him. She had to run and hide fast.


End file.
